A Very Relevant Year

October 18, 2012. The day I became Mrs. Kelly Misa-Fernandez. (Photo by: Pat Dy)

Christmas is practically here! It’s the 23rd of December, and no, the world did not come to an end as predicted, though admit it—you did think about it (hello, doomsday preppers). These past few days have been so busy for most of us: shopping for presents, preparing for Noche Buena and meeting up with family and friends.

It has been extra hectic for me, juggling work, moving house and adjusting to married life, which is why I felt I had to stop for a moment and reflect on the year that was.

2012. The year of the dragon. This year has been very, very good to me. It had a lot of ups and downs, but the good far outweighed the bad. There were a lot of milestones this year that I couldn’t be more thankful for: this is the year I got married, the year I started my blog, and the year I got over my quarter-life crisis. A lot of things fell into place this year. And looking back, it all just felt natural and right. I guess some things were meant to happen this way—like no matter how hard we try to make something work, it just doesn’t seem to happen; or how we expect something to be difficult but ends up being surprisingly easy.

I found what I was looking for this year. I mean, I wasn’t really lost, but you can say I was always searching for that thing that would make me feel more certain about myself. Call it confidence, or a feeling of belongingness. I just always seemed unsure of myself until this year.

Some people find whatever it is they are looking for at a very young age, while others discover it through many life experiences. I guess I belong to the second group. I always just did things because an opportunity presented itself. I never sought something because I wanted it. I think that made it difficult for me to find that certainty or confidence in myself. I would go from one interest to the next without considering what I really wanted.

When I finally decided to hold the reins and take control of my life that was when things began to look up. I can’t remember the exact time this happened (most likely it was early this year), but the shift in perspective was life changing. I began to find the joy in my work, valued the people I loved and saw a silver lining on every negative circumstance.

I guess what I wanted to do here is to look back at the things that brought on this change and be thankful for them. These challenges were what helped me get to where I am right now. Of course, I am aware this isn’t my journey’s end, I just really want to appreciate the place I’m in at this moment.

I feel blessed, content and happy. Marriage may have a lot to do with it (big thanks to my husband), as well as my work. Life is far from perfect but I’ve learned how to roll with the punches and take what it has to offer. 2012 has been instrumental is teaching me valuable life-lessons. And I hope that whatever the new year has in store for me, I will be ready.